Christmas
by Lt.AliciaWashington
Summary: Four weeks leading up to Christmas in 2144- it s the first Christmas with civilians in the picture and all Commander Taylor can do is watch as his beloved colony turns into a Christmas madhouse- then there s his second in command who looks far to beautiful with her hair full of snowflakes- and his third in command who has noticed that as well... Merry Christmas :D
1. Chapter 1

_4 weeks to Christmas:_

"What the hell is that?"

Wash has to bite her lip to hide her amusement at the commander´s outburst, disgust clearly audible in his voice as he stares into the container they´ve just opened.

"Heaven."

"What?"

"Heaven, not hell, Sir- it´s Christmas wrapping paper."

"Wrapping paper?"

He parrots her, looking even more confused now and Wash nods, indicating a second container next to them and watches Taylor´s eyes narrow.

"There´s more?"

"Ribbons, Sir, to go with the wrappings."

For a moment he stares at her, incredulously, obviously trying to wrap his mind around the fact that something that horrible has happened in his colony without his knowledge.

"Who would waste the space of two containers for that?"

Wash shrugs, glancing towards the market where the vendors are busy hanging Christmas decorations, the small carts and huts are already adorned with tiny lights and pine arrangements.

"Not everybody is focussed on military equipment, Sir, the civilians are much more interested in celebrating Christmas in style."

Taylor looks as though he might be sick at any moment as he observes the preparations going on in the market, then he looks back at the two containers.

"Wrapping paper, Wash?"

"Wrapping paper- shall I have it moved to one of the storehouses?"

"By all means, the sooner it gets out of the way, the better."

They are joined by Guzman and his daughter, the girl looking as enthusiastic as only a twelve year old can at the sight of the mountain of colorful paper.

"Can I have some, Dad? When it´s on sale, I mean?"

Guz winks at Wash, then focusses on his daughter again.

"Sure, Tasha, you need to wrap all the presents you´re getting your awesome Dad after all."

The girl frowns, then giggles as she realizes he is joking.

"Ok, Dad."

Tasha spots Skye Tate and barely remembers to say goodbye before bouncing off to meet her friend, leaving the three soldiers next to the open containers.

The commander is still looking disgruntled and Wash motions for a couple of soldiers to move the containers before she follows her CO over towards the market, Guz trailing behind them.

"What´s wrong?"

He whispers, careful not to be overheard by Taylor.

"Too much Christmas cheer" Wash replies quietly and then they both chuckle, causing their CO to turn and observe them with raised eyebrows.

"Care to fill me in on the fun?"

They exchange a look, then turn back to Taylor with perfectly blank expressions.

"It´s nothing, Sir."

Wash replies, voice perfectly serious now.

"Hm- in that case would someone care to explain why I wasn´t informed about the plan to turn the market into a giant gingerbread house?"

This time it´s Guz who replies, sounding a little hesitant as though he expects Taylor to blow up into his face at any moment and knowing their CO as well as she does, Wash thinks that his concern is perfectly justified.

"I didn´t think it was a big deal, Sir, the vendors built a committee and approached me with a concept last month, I checked it thoroughly for security risks and when I didn´t find any, I approved it."

Taylor growls low in his throat and Guz actually takes a step back while Wash looks sharply at the commander, it´s well known that Taylor isn´t a fan of the holiday season, can´t understand why people expect everyone to be merry and bright simply because it´s that time of the year but in his second´s opinion that´s no reason to ruin it for everybody else.

"If there´s no breech of protocol there shouldn´t be a problem, should there, Commander."

She uses his title on purpose, this whole thing has gotten far too personal and Taylor apparently needs a reminder that this isn´t something to loose his head over, he nods jerkily, his expression so close to a pout that Wash can´t help but smile, even though she´s careful to not let him notice.

Guz is still standing out of reach of his CO and now clears his throat, causing both Taylor and his second to look at him.

"Uh- if that´s all, Sir, I´m scheduled to go OTG in ten minutes."

"OTG? What for?"

Guz squirms a little, looking pleadingly at Wash before replying "Mistletoe, Sir."

"Mistletoe?"

Taylor sounds as though he´s seriously questioning his lieutenant´s sanity by now and the younger man gulps.

"Yes, Sir- the vendors have requested it and-"

"And you didn´t see any harm in it, so you´re going OTG to get them some mistletoe."

"Well- yes- that was the general idea-" Guz takes another step backwards as Taylor swells with indignation and Wash hastily steps between the two men.

"In that case you´d better hurry, Guz, your team´s probably waiting for you."

Relief is clearly visible and he nods at Taylor before almost falling over his own feet in his hurry to get away, as second in command Wash technically is Guzman´s superior and can give him orders though she usually doesn´t, right now she has a feeling that Guzman asking Taylor to be dismissed to go and look for mistletoe outside might have been a little risky.

She feels Taylor´s hand on her upper arm and turns slowly, trying to ignore the tingling sensation his touch always causes lately, it´s something she rather not thinks about too intently, it´s stupid and distracting, not to mention useless to have feelings for one´s commanding officer and Wash prides herself in being a sensible person.

"First wrapping and now mistletoe? Anything else I do not want to know about?"

"I believe I´m going OTG to find some suitable pine trees to be sold for the housing units, Sir."

"Sure, why not, pine trees, great."

His expression so much resembles a pout that all Wash can do is keep herself from reaching up and brushing her thumb over his lower lip, the mere thought making her shiver and Taylor finally releases her arm, frowning.

"Are you cold?"

They are both wearing heavy, fur lines parkas, it´s gotten really cold and they are expecting snow, the first snow since they´ve come through the portal three years ago since the last two winters have been stormy and wet but not cold enough.

She shakes her head in answer to his question and he looks even more confused but doesn´t call her on it, instead he motions for her to follow him further into the crowded market, other than in the years before where they had only had one pilgrimage each, only soldiers and a few workers to help building the housing units and perimeter line as well as some farmers and medical personal there have been three groups of this year, the third pilgrimage mostly the families of their security forces and more recruits for the units, the fourth and fifth more or less civilians, both lottery winners and people that have been requested to help built a balances community.

In consequence where there have only been about one hundred and fifty people here last Christmas, most of them living at the barracks and more than happy to celebrate the season with a few hot alcoholic beverages, this year there are about six hundred people living at Terra Nova, mostly families with children and Wash can see why their people are looking forward to Christmas so much, it´s an opportunity to get to know everyone, have small get- togethers with friends and neighbors and just generally be in a festive mood.

Taylor suddenly stops and she almost runs into him.

"You´re not going to get a Christmas tree, are you?"

She thinks about that for a moment, she hasn´t exactly been planning on it but now he mentions it, she can´t resist teasing him a little.

"Of course, Sir, I thought we could set it up in the office, perhaps between the desk and the conference table, wouldn´t that be nice?"

Taylor´s reaction is lost on her when she feels something cold on her hand and looks up, all around them voices are erupting as the first snow flakes start to fall, dancing in the light wind, most people, including Wash, have never seen snow before and it´s just as beautiful as she has imagined it, pure white and glistening and fluffy.

When she finally turns back to her CO she finds Taylor watching her, a strange, almost wistful expression on his face.

"It´s beautiful" she tells him, a little confused by his intense gaze and when he replies his words only serve to puzzle her even further.

"Yes, absolutely beautiful."


	2. Chapter 2

**teparry:** Thank you very much, I´ll update the second part now and I hope I´ll finish writing the third one later today :)

* * *

_3 weeks to Christmas:_

As she´s fighting her way through the cold white mass of snow, Wash has to admit that the novelty has worn off a bit but there´s no use complaining, she´s out here to get a job done and the sooner it´s finished, the sooner she can get back to the colony and get some hot drink from Boylan´s to warm her up again.

"Lieutenant, we´re good to go."

She turns towards the rhinos and nods at her Corporal, the young woman looks as wet and cold as Wash is feeling and as eager to go home.

"Thanks, Riley- everybody, we´re heading back."

Wash is joined in the front of her rhino by one of her fresh recruits, a young man named Mark Reynolds she already has taken a shine to, the boy is talented, disciplined and hard working, all she is looking for in a soldier.

"How was your first trip OTG, Private?"

"Fine, Ma´am- a little cold" he adds truthfully, pulling his gloves off and rubbing his hands together to get the circulation started again.

She has taken a group of younger men this time, the area they have been getting the pine trees from isn't dangerous and it´s important for the recruits to get some OTG experience as soon as possible.

"You have any plans for Christmas yet?"

She asks, despite herself, she usually isn´t one to make small talk but she really likes the boy and wants to know how he´s getting on.

"Some friends and I are meeting up, Ma´am, nothing too special, just some food and drinks and perhaps small presents."

She nods, it´s nice to know that the boys are getting along well enough to make holiday plans together, she doesn´t have any plans herself yet, last year she has eaten dinner with Guz while Taylor spend the evening with Lucas, now Lucas is gone and Guz´s daughter is here and that probably will leave both her and the commander alone which is a bit depressing but can´t be helped, she isn´t exactly in the position to ask her CO to spend Christmas with her after all, as much as the mere idea thrills her, it´s simply not appropriate, wouldn´t even be if her motives were which they are decidedly not.

They arrive back at the colony in the late afternoon, it´s already dark and Wash arranges for the trees to be moved out of the way before walking over to the small cabin in the market where Tom Boylan is busy hanging a fresh pine garland, grinning brightly when he spots her.

"Lieutenant, my, you look frozen."

He climbs down from his ladder and Wash follows him over to the entrance, it´s crowded in front of the makeshift bar, three people are serving the customers mulled wine and other hot drinks.

"Looks like you´re making more here than at the bar right now" Wash observes and Boylan grins happily.

"Bar will be filling up later but you´re right, this is really paying off. You´ll be pleased to hear that I finally managed to produce your favorite."

Boylan winks at her as he pours a generous helping of eggnog into a mug and tops it with whipped cream before handing it to her, watching as she cautiously takes a sip, it´s perfect, just the way she likes it with a hint of nutmeg and cinnamon.

"You´ve outdone yourself."

He chuckles, pleased with himself, then he roams underneath the counter and comes back up with a large chocolate chip cookie.

"Bakery´s come up with these, interested?"

"Are you joking? It´s chocolate, of course I am."

Both eggnog and chocolate chip cookie in hand, Wash makes her way up to command, not at all surprised when she finds her CO still behind his desk.

"Boylan was looking for you earlier, he wants you to try something."

"Just eggnog, Sir."

His expression softens, his lieutenant´s weakness for the typical female fancy never ceasing to amuse him.

"Should have known- I´m sorry I´m being so- disagreeable, about Christmas."

She shrugs dispassionately.

"I don´t really care, Sir, it´s simply a good excuse to drink eggnog and eat lots of cookies."

"Ah, I see- so how is the eggnog?"

"It´s really good, want some?"

She holds out the mug to him without thinking, then almost drops it when he reaches for it, his fingertips brushing against her´s and small jolts of electricity seem to erupt all over her skin.

Taylor doesn´t seem to notice her reaction, he takes a sip of her eggnog and nods approvingly, then puts the mug down onto the desk in front of her and leans back in his chair, observing her.

"You should get changed, wouldn´t want you to get sick."

"Why, because you´d have to organize the Christmas tree sale in my place?"

Wash teases and Taylor groans, burying his head in his hands.

"Evil woman, you can´t just spring something like that on me."

Finishing her eggnog Wash glances at her watch, her shift is over and she really wants a hot shower, dry clothes, food and sleep, in that order.

"I´ll go then, Sir, meet you at the mess later?"

He looks up.

"What´s on the menu for tonight?"

"I don´t know but it´s freezing outside, so the market isn´t really an option."

"You know what, why don´t we just meet at your place, Boylan wants to organize a party for military members and their families on Christmas Eve, we can discuss that over dinner."

They´ve done that before, working lunches or dinners at one of their units, just like they´ve done while living at the Chicago dome while preparing for Terra Nova, the only difference is that back then they would order in, now one of them has to buy food in the market and bring it over.

"That´ll work, give me half an hour."

"See you in thirty then."

_Wash has just gotten out of her bedroom, now clad in soft sweat pants and a turtleneck sweater, when she hears a tapping sound coming from her front door._

_Frowning she walks over, usually Taylor would just let himself inside but when she opens the door the reason for knocking is apparent, he´s carrying not only a bag of food but also two mugs which smell deliciously of more eggnog._

_"You really liked it that much?"_

_She takes the mugs from him and steps back so he can walk past her, it´s snowing again and Wash can´t help but admire the beautiful picture, even though she now knows from experience that she won´t find it so pretty when she has to go outside again in the morning._

_"I have to admit it was rather tasty, Boylan will tease me for weeks about drinking it, I hope you appreciate my efforts."_

_She laughs, closing the door again and carries the mugs over to her living room table, there´s a fire burning in the small fire place and it´s warm and cozy and now the scent of spicy eggnog is filling the air, adding to the relaxed atmosphere._

_Taylor has gotten out of his parka and hung it up next to her front door, now he is in her kitchen area, putting their dinner on plates._

_The food vendors have changed their menus to accommodate the colder season, wiping out traditional recopies and Wash deeply inhales the delicious scent that´s wafting over to her._

_"What did you bring?"_

_"Irish Stew, ever had it before?"_

_"No but I know how it´s made- there´s fresh bread if you want any, I bought it this morning before I went OTG."_

_She watches Taylor cut some bread, thinking that having him in her kitchen is something she could get used to and at the same moment reprimands herself for it, she really needs to be more careful with her own thoughts, they have a nasty tendency to run away without her permission lately._

_"Something on your mind?"_

_He is looking at her expectantly and she hastily shakes her head, hoping he will put the flush on her cheeks down to the heat of the fire._

_"Just hungry."_

_He comes over with the plates and they eat their stew and bread and then sip their eggnog while Taylor tells Wash about Boylan´s plans for the Christmas party which is going to take place at the bar on the 24th._

_"Are you going?"_

_Wash asks, trying not to let on how much his answer matters to her._

_"I suppose so, it´s not as though I have anywhere else to be- how about you, are you coming? Last year you spent the evening with Guzman."_

_For some reason he sounds disapproving._

_"Tasha´s here now, so it´ll be family time."_

_"He didn´t ask you to add to the family time?"_

_Not quite sure what exactly he´s hinting it Wash nods._

_"He did, Tasha, too."_

_"And you still said no?"_

_Now this isn´t a conversation she has been planning to have with him but now she has already said too much and will have to explain, uncomfortable as it it feels._

_"It´s more about Tasha than about Guz, actually, she´s-" Alicia hesitates briefly, searching for the right term to put the girl´s relationship with her, finally she settles on "attached."_

_"I see."_

_Taylor nods thoughtfully, then takes his last sip of eggnog while Wash gets up and walks over to the kitchen area to make some tea, still thinking about Tasha Guzman._

_The girl´s sweet of course and she´s flattered that Tasha looks up to her so much but at the same time she doesn´t want to send the wrong message, she loves Guz as a friend and she wishes him all the happiness in the world but she isn't interested in a relationship with him and his daughter will have to look for someone to fill the void her mother´s death has left in her life elsewhere, there are plenty of unattached women in the colony who would happily take care of father and daughter both._

_"So how´s this nuisance going to work tomorrow?"_

_She looks up, for a moment not sure what he is talking about, then she catches on._

_"You mean the tree sale? It´s not going to be a sale, actually, more an auction."_

_"An auction? You mean people are expected to bid? Wash, that´ll take all day."_

_He actually sounds horrified and Wash almost feels sorry for him- almost._

_"Sorry about that, Sir, it´s supposed to be an entertainment for everybody."_

_"Put some rum into that tea, will you, I need it."_

_She does, pouring a generous amount of alcohol into both mugs before carrying them back over to the sofa and handing one to Taylor._

_"There you go, Rum with some tea."_

_"Good girl" he grins at her frown and pats the seat next to him._

_"Come on, sit down again, I´ll stop complaining now, I promise."_

_"Good, then I won´t tell you what´s planned for next weekend."_

_"Uh- next weekend?"_

_"Well, it´s three more weeks to Christmas and there´ll be something planned for every weekend so the wait won´t get too long, especially for the kids."_

_"Like the tree sale- tree auction."_

_Wash nods before taking a careful sip of her hot tea, waiting for Taylor´s curiosity to get the better of him, she doesn´t have to wait for long._

_"Ok, tell me, what´s next weekend?"_

_"The bakery is organizing a baking day for the children, they will be using the barracks´s kitchens for it and you´re supposed to be the first to taste the end products."_

_Nathaniel actually blanches at that prospect._

_"You mean eat their cookies? Wash, I don´t want food poisoning, why do people always have to put idiotic ideas into children´s heads?"_

_"It´s rather hard to go wrong with cookies, Nathaniel, just do them the favor, they are all looking up to you, you know that."_

_Taylor groans, sinking deeper into the sofa cushions._

_"Sometimes I really hate my life- so what´s happening weekend before Christmas?"_

_Wash ponders her options for a moment._

_"Perhaps you´d rather be surprised, Sir."_

The next morning Wash is up before dawn and she now wishes she hadn´t had so much rum the previous night, she´s not exactly hung over but it´s been much more difficult to get out of bed than usual, especially since she already noticed that it has kept snowing the night previous when she looked out of her bedroom window.

Taylor has stayed at her place until after midnight, they have drunk tea with rum that has contained less and less tea the later it got but at the time it had been great, they have talked about their plans for the colony, about their new soldiers and the commander has been more relaxed than Wash has seen him in a while.

The lieutenant yawns as she makes her way over to the gate, she´s shivering despite her fur lined jacket, it has stopped snowing but somehow now it seems even colder, the snow is crunching beneath her boots and for a moment she actually considers to just call in sick and go back to bed, she knows that she won´t do it of course but it´s nice to imagine it.

Taylor is already waiting for her, looking much more awake than she feels for some unknown reason, he too is wearing his warmest jacket, hands buried deep in his pockets.

"Morning, Wash."

"Morning, Sir."

She stifles another yawn and Taylor smiles affectionately at her.

"Tired, Lieutenant?"

"Yes- I´m sorry."

"No need, I have it on good authority that someone got you drunk against your will."

They go about their patrol in silence, scarfs pulled up over their mouths and noses and both of them are glad when the gate comes back into view, the first vendors are already opening in the market as they make their way over to the mess hall, looking forward to a cup of hot coffee.

They settle down in a quiet corner with their breakfast and are joined by Guzman a few minutes later, Wash greeting her friend with a warm smile.

"Hey, you´re up early."

"Tell me about it, Tasha has her eyes set on that one special tree, she´ll kill me if I´m not on time to buy it for her."

"Welcome to life with a teenager" Taylor says dryly, shrugging when both Wash and Guz stare at him.

"What? I know what I´m talking about, I´ve been there."

Wash is the first to recover from the shock of her CO so openly referring to his son in a random conversation, usually Taylor does anything he can to avoid even thinking about Lucas but if that´s going to change and things will go back to normal as far as that´s possible, Wash won´t complain.

"So the real reason you are here is to persuade me to put the tree aside for you?"

She inquires and Guzman shrugs, looking a little sheepish.

"Sounds a little illegal if you put it that way- you´re doing it anyway?"

She chuckles, it never ceases to amuse her how easily Tasha can wrap their fierce third in command around her little finger.

"I´ll see what I can do for you."

_The auction is a success, the trees selling in record time Wash finds herself in the possession of a rather fine one herself when it´s all over, even though she hadn´t exactly planned on it but the vendors are more than grateful that she has volunteered to organize the sale, despite her no- nonsense reputation and it´s their way to express their thanks._

_Guz, relieved that she has managed to get him the tree Tasha wanted, offers to carry her tree home for her and after a moment´s hesitation she accepts, she could carry it herself of course but she has to admit that this way is much more convenient._

_After he has leaned the tree against the wall of her housing unit, Wash concludes that now he has carried her tree here she´d better offer him something warm to drink, other than her Guz is working a nightshift._

_"Uhm- Wash?"_

_She pauses on her doorstep, turning towards him._

_"Yes?"_

_He is looking at something over their heads and Wash rolls her eyes, this can´t be happening, can it?_

_"Seriously?"_

_She sighs as she spots the bunch of mistletoe fastened to the doorframe with a small red ribbon._

_"And whose brilliant idea was this?"_

_Guz looks slightly embarrassed._

_"I might have given Tasha and Skye some of what I brought back yesterday, they were begging so hard, I didn´t know they were going to put some here."_

_Wash isn´t as surprised, actually she is convinced that Guz´s daughter has been hoping for, unfortunately they have already drawn a small audience by now, citizens and soldiers who have been walking by on their way back home have stopped and are watching, amusement visible on every face as they wait for the two lieutenants to kiss._

_"Fine, let´s get it over with" Wash feels Guz´s arms wrap around her waist, he pulls her to him and it´s only then that she realizes that this isn´t a good idea and that her friend is probably taking this very, very wrong._

_She´s proven right a moment later when his lips meet her´s, there´s nothing chaste about the kiss, not from his side at least and Wash doesn´t know how to end it quickly enough without embarrassing him in front of everybody else, so she kisses him back for a moment before gently pushing against his chest, indicating for him to let her go._

_He does so reluctantly and for a moment Wash´s relieved, then she turns around and her eyes lock with Taylor´s and the expression she sees there is enough to make her heart stop for a moment before starting to pound at a sickening pace in her chest._

_The small crowed applauds them, catcalls and cheers are audible before people start off again, leaving Wash who´s barely aware that Guzman is talking to her but she´s too focussed on Taylor who is walking away in direction of his own house and she moves to hurry after him but Guz´s hand on her arm stops her._

_"I have to-"_

_"You have to talk to me, Alicia, Taylor can wait."_

_He sounds so agitated that she stops struggling and instead looks up into his face, alarmed at the heartbreak so clearly visible in his dark eyes, she´s finally released and Guzman steps back from her._

_"You weren´t exactly thrilled at the prospect of kissing me, right?"_

_She hesitates briefly, not really certain what to say, then she shakes her head, this is bad enough as it is, there´s no use pretending._

_"No, I wasn´t, I knew you might take it wrong- you´re my friend, Dave and I love you but not in the way you probably want me to."_

_This is even harder than she has imagined, she can´t remember to have encouraged him in the past but then she knows all too well how easy it is to interpret things the way one wishes to see them, just like she is doing right now, hoping that Taylor´s reaction earlier might implicate that he´s jealous when he´s probably just unhappy because two of his officers are fooling around with each other in public._

_"I know you don´t want to hear it right now but I´m sorry, I should have said something when I started to suspect you wanted to be more than friends."_

_Guz shakes his head._

_"It´s not your fault, I must have been blind, just forget this ever happened, ok?"_

_"What do you mean you´ve been blind?"_

_He laughs bitterly, nodding towards the house at the other end of the barracks._

_"Taylor- that´s why you keep turning all the guys down, you´re waiting for him to make a move, aren´t you."_

_"No, he never would even consider-"_

_"He would, believe me, if you haven´t noticed how he looks at you, you´re even blinder than me, Wash- it´s ok, I´ll go home and lick my wounds for a while, don´t worry about me, I´ll be fine."_

_Wash knows better than to follow him, she will give him time to come to terms with her rejecting him and hopefully their friendship will survive, he´s important to her and she doesn´t want to loose him as a friend._

_What she has to decide now is what to do about Taylor, he has vanished into his house and not come out again and she really wants to go over there, on the other hand her CO obviously isn´t interested in talking to her right now, if he was he would have stayed and demanded her attention._

_Finally she decides to wait, she will see him later, it´s Saturday and they have met at Boylan´s for a couple of drinks every Saturday night without fail ever since the bar has opened._

_"Ma´am, are you all right?"_

_She looks up, finding Mark Reynolds standing in front of her porch, the young man is looking at her expectantly from under the hood of his parka._

_"Reynolds- yes, I´m fine, why?"_

_"It´s just that you have been standing there for some time now and I was wondering if you´re ok."_

_Wash can´t help but smile, the boy is kind of cute with his blue eyes and worried expression, if she had had a little brother she wouldn´t have minded him being exactly like Mark Reynolds._

_"It´s nothing" Wash sighs, deciding that some honesty won´t hurt, either he talks and the fact that she isn´t romantically linked to Guzman will spread a bit faster which might be helpful and spare her some annoying conversations or he won´t talk and it won´t matter._

_"I have some trouble with a friend who´d like to be more than friends" she tells him, leaning against her doorframe as she watches his reaction, she almost misses it, it´s nothing but a tiny widening of his eyes before he nods._

_"I see, Ma´am."_

_"You do?"_

_His answer surprises her a bit but at the same time she´s curious what he will say next._

_"I passed Lieutenant Guzman just around the corner, he didn´t look happy and Skye Tate told me that Tasha was hoping you and her Dad would get together in time for Boylan´s Christmas party."_

_The explanation is simple and Wash decides that she´ll have to have a little talk with Tasha about spreading rumors about the colony, especially when it concerns people who are gossiped about enough as it is._

_"My advice, Reynolds, if you find yourself falling for someone-" the boy blushes and Wash adds "sometime in the future- tell them as soon as possible, preferably before everyone else knows about it."_

_Mark nods, looking very serious now._

_"That´s a good advice, Ma´am, thank you."_

_He salutes her and walks off again while Wash finally enters her house and closes the door behind herself, she needs to shower and change and find something for dinner before going over to Boylan´s._

At nine thirty Wash is utterly frustrated, she´s been sitting at their usual table for over an hour and Taylor hasn´t turned up, he simply stood her up, granted, their meetings aren´t really a fixed thing but given the fact that they´ve been spending their Saturday nights here together for over almost two years now she things she can expect him to at least excuse himself.

Guz is absent as well and people have been staring at her all night, clearly wondering what the absence of both the commander and the second lieutenant might mean and how exactly her own presence is responsible for it.

After another ten minutes and with her third drink finished Wash finally has enough and leaves, shivering in the cold outside as she makes her way back over towards the barracks, having every intention to go to bed and try to forget the whole day but then she sees light in Taylor´s window and decides to confront him after all, now she has a reason, after all she has waited for him long enough to feel utterly humiliated in front of half the security force.

She has to knock three times until Taylor finally opens the door, frowning when he sees her.

"Lieutenant, what can I do for you?"

"Why haven´t you come to Boylan´s?"

She asks, ignoring his hostile tone.

He hesitates, clearly irritated, then shrugs.

"I didn´t think you´d miss me."

Up to now Wash has felt hurt, now she feels the hurt being replaced by anger, his arrogance is getting to her and she won´t let him get away with it, insubordination be damned.

She crosses her arms over her chest, standing up straight, her voice now perfectly controlled, cool and emotionless as she braces herself.

"And why would that be, Sir?"

His frown deepens at her using his title, throwing his own aggressiveness back in his face.

"Though you´d be good with Guzman for company."

For a moment she´s speechless, she hasn´t expected him to actually admit to being jealous of Guz, the mere thought is ridiculous but perhaps she isn´t alone in this after all.

She feels herself deflate and shakes her head, suddenly feeling rather exasperated, how can someone as accomplished and self esteemed person as Nathaniel Taylor act so childish, why hasn´t he just asked instead of hiding at his house.

"With all due respect, Sir, you´re an idiot" she growls before turning on her heel and marching away in direction of her own unit, ignoring his indignant gasp, she hears his door slam behind her but it´s only when she hears the crunching of snow behind herself that she realizes he has closed it from the outside and is following her.

She doesn´t stop, instead she walks a little faster but she doesn´t manage to reach her door before he reaches her, his arms wrapping around her waist like steel bands, pulling her back against his chest.

"You´re right, I´m an idiot- I should have believed you when you said you weren´t interested in him."

"Yes, you should have."

She relaxes against him, his familiar presence is soothing her frazzled nerves effectively and his hold on her changes from restraining to something more intimate, it´s comforting to be held like this, safe, relaxing.

"Seeing you kissing another man was-" Taylor´s voice trails off as he searches for words, finally he adds "I don´t want to see it again, ever."

"Is that an order?"

She teases, smiling when she feels him inhaling the scent of her hair before he replies.

"No, it´s a request."

She turns in his arms, facing him again.

"And what do I gain by granting that request?"

She isn´t really surprised when he kisses her then but that doesn´t mean she is prepared for the way it makes her feel, she has waited so long, wished for it so hard and now suddenly it´s happening and though the moment leading up to it hasn´t been perfect- how could it be when it involves two people so driven, so stubborn and passionate as they are- but Wash wouldn´t change any of it, she hardly notices that it starts to snow again until her wet hair begins to cling to her neck, whimpers when Taylor breaks the kiss.

"I think we should take this somewhere more comfortable" he pulls her with him over to her house, chuckling quietly at the sight of the mistletoe still attached to the doorframe.

"If it wasn´t so damn cold I might make use of this" he tells her while unlocking her door and she laughs, too, as she leads the way inside.


	3. Chapter 3

**savirose23:** Thank you very much, well, that remains to be seen but I´ll clear that up in time ;)

**teparry:** Hey, thank you for the review- well, it´s not so much something she´ll enjoy herself, more another great entertainment for the rest of the colony, it´ll involve Taylor and some tree climbing :D

* * *

**_2 weeks to Christmas_**

If it wasn´t for the fact that Guzman refuses to talk to her except for when he can´t avoid it professionally, Wash would claim that her Christmastime has adapted an almost dreamlike quality ever since she and Taylor have pulled their act together and admitted their feelings for each other.

Evenings are now spend together, usually at her unit since Nathaniel claims that it´s much more cozy than his own and he hasn´t even complained about the unmistakable signs for the approaching holiday that have turned up gradually over the last week, some additional candles here, a small ornamental angel there, Alicia isn´t big on decorations but after all it´s Christmas and she permits herself to indulge a little, especially since she´s in such a cheery mood she can hardly contain herself.

It´s Friday and they are tugged away at her house in front of the fireplace, Nathaniel leaning back against the couch, Wash lying in his lap, his fingers weaving trough her hair, mussing up the glossy strands before straightening them out again.

"You want anymore Whiskey?"

She asks, sounding a bit reluctant to move from her position and Taylor shakes his head.

"No, I´m good, just stay where you are."

He bends down and softly kisses her lips, then straightens up again, a light smile playing around his lips.

"You´re beautiful" he tells her, his hand continuing to stroke her hair as he watches her reaction, his smile widening as she sighs happily, her hand coming up to curl around his neck and pull him back down to her, this time the kiss lasts considerably longer and they are both a bit breathless when they finally break apart.

"Bed?"

Taylor asks and Wash nods, feeling a little dazed, he has a talent to make her loose her head and she doesn´t mind one bit, quite the contrary.

It takes them quite some time to get to her bedroom as Wash finds herself pushed up against the wall more than once and her clothes have already mysteriously disappeared from her body as Taylor finally presses her down into the sheets.

The first time they´ve been together like this Taylor has discovered that other than he had expected his temperamental lieutenant is perfectly fine with letting him take the lead and just enjoy herself, it accommodates his own domineering nature and Wash´s need to be allowed to feel less like a soldier and more like a woman from time to time.

It doesn´t mean that he´s overly gentle with her and she wouldn´t want him to, both have quite a few colorful bruises and bite marks and- in Taylor´s case- scratches adorning their skin, not that they mind, they are a good fit, here as well as in every other aspect of their lives.

Finally Wash snuggles up against Nathaniel´s warm body underneath the sheets, it´s snowing again, the white mass swirling in front of the window, glistening and glittering and once again Alicia can´t help but think that it looks absolutely beautiful and wonder how much more difficult it will be to do their jobs in the morning.

"What do you want for Christmas?"

She asks, she has several ideas what she could get him but she is really curious what he wants himself.

"Apart from you?"

She smiles, briefly pressing her lips against his shoulder.

"Apart from me."

"Can´t think of anything- a vacation would be nice, though."

"What is stopping you from taking a few days off?"

"I meant a vacation with you and given the way Guz is acting right now, I think asking him to stand in for us while we leave to be alone somewhere wouldn´t be the best idea."

There´s nothing to add to that and right now Wash is too happy to ponder her strained relationship with their third in command, she knows Guz too well to pressure him, he´ll come to her when he´s ready and until then she will have to wait and be patient.

"Well, you´ll have to do with just me, then" she jokes and feels his arms tighten around her in response as he drops a kiss onto her head.

"Having you is much more than I could ever have hoped for, Alicia."

She laughs softly.

"I never took you for a romantic."

"Oh, I am very romantic, Wash, I´ll prove it to you in time."

Curious she looks up at him but he only smirks mysteriously and shakes his head, indicating that there´s no use to ask and she resigns herself that she apparently have to wait and see what he meant.

_The next morning has another surprise in store for them, when they try to open the front door they find that it´s not possible, they are literally snowed in and when Taylor contacts Guzman he´s informed that most of the units aren´t faring any better, he gives orders for the soldiers still outside from their nightshift to try and get the barracks free first so their comrades can get to their posts._

_The commander switches the comm back off and turns to his lieutenant, an amused smile on his face._

_"Looks like we have time for a nice, long breakfast, Wash."_

_She is just as amused and doesn´t really mind that turn of events, she´s well stocked with food and while Taylor rekindles the fire, Wash busies herself in the kitchen, deciding that it´s a perfect morning for pancakes and hot chocolate._

_"Your cooking is too good, Wash, I`ll have to start working out more."_

_Nathaniel´s arms wrap around her waist and he nuzzles her neck, making her giggle in a most uncharacteristically way._

_"Not that I`m complaining" he adds as he slips one hand underneath her tank and rests it over her stomach, he presses his lips to her cheek, then watches as she flips the pancake and slips it onto a warmed plate before adding more batter to the pan._

_"I never knew you were so domesticated."_

_She shrugs lightly._

_"It´s not that exciting, just pancakes."_

_"I know from experience that you can do a lot more than pancakes, where did you learn to cook, your parents had a chef."_

_She tenses briefly, like always when she´s reminded of her family and her loveless childhood._

_"I spend a lot of time in the kitchen, our chef was great with kids, he let me watch him cook and then try everything he made, when I was older he let me help sometimes."_

_"Remind me to send him a thank you card next time the portal opens" Taylor jokes, a hand inching towards the pancakes and Wash slaps it playfully, shaking her head._

_"Behave- if you want to do something useful you can get plates."_

_Some minutes later they are in front of the fireplace- again as Wash realizes with some amusement- and enjoying their pancakes and hot chocolate._

_"How long do you think it´ll take to dig us out?"_

_Taylor shrugs, it´s clear to Wash that her CO isn´t worried, there isn´t much to do today, just some leftover paperwork and they´ll still have plenty of time for that later._

_"I don´t really mind, if we are stuck here it means that the teachers and probably all the kids are stuck too and that means that they won't start baking anytime soon."_

_Wash grins, amused how much the prospect of eating some cookies which don´t even exist yet horrifies him._

_"The big bad Commander Taylor, scared of some kids and their cookies."_

_"Are you sassing your CO, woman?"_

_"That might be the case, Sir- can I make it up to you somehow?"_

_He looks her upside down in a way that makes her skin tingle all over._

_"We´ll revisit that later, Lieutenant, wouldn´t want the pancakes to get cold."_

_"You sure know how to make a woman feel cherished and wanted" Wash complains, not at all surprised when her plate is firmly tugged from her hands and put aside along with his own before he pulls her into his lap and kisses her, the remainder of their breakfast forgotten until they are interrupted by Nathaniel´s comm coming to life._

_He curses under his breath as he disentangles himself from Wash to get it, leaving her lying on the rug in front of the fireplace, flushed and out of breath as she watches him activate the device, eyes following his every movement as she enjoyed the sight of his well toned naked upper body._

_"Taylor."_

_"Sir, we´ve dug you out now, I´ll wait for you at command, my shift is over."_

_Guzman sounds exhausted and part of Wash feels bad for being disappointed that they have to go and relief him now._

_Nathaniel turns to her, just looking at her for a long moment, then he sighs._

_"I really hate to say this but get dressed, Lieutenant."_

_She can´t help but chuckle as she reaches for her bra and tank, tossing him his shirt and they dress hurriedly, then add their parkas and winter boots before leaving the house._

It´s almost three in the afternoon when the ´cookies of doom´ (Taylor´s words, not her´s) finally arrive at the office, accompanied by one of the teachers and a group of three timid looking children, two girls and a boy, the commander does his very best to look pleased and the children seem to buy it while Wash has to hide her amusement at the way his jaw clenches when he accepts the plate from the smaller of the girls.

After Taylor has popped one of the cookies into his mouth and complimented it, the teacher ushers the kids outside again, leaving the plate behind and Wash eyes it critically, the cookies look quite harmless, at least they aren´t burned but if Nathaniel´s expression is anything to go by, they will stay on the plate for some time.

"That bad?"

She asks, smiling when he pushes the plate away from him as far as it will go.

"Tastes a bit like cardboard."

"You used to eat cardboard?"

"Funny, Wash- you can leave early today."

She raises her eyebrow at him.

"Sir?"

"Go home and bake some proper cookies, will you?"

"You´re sending me home early to bake cookies for you? Is that even legal?"

He shrugs.

"Nothing I do with you is legal, woman."

"Point taken- I´ll see you for dinner, then, anything special you want?"

"Happy with anything you make."

Wash leaves the office and slowly makes her way up the steps, mindful of the icy patches upon the wood.

While picking up some ingredients for her cookies in the markets she runs into Mark Reynolds who´s looking at a display of boardgames, his face lightening up at the sight of her which Wash thinks is a sure sign that he hasn´t had enough hand on hand combat training with her yet, otherwise he wouldn´t look so damn pleased to see her.

"Lieutenant."

"Reynolds- you´re doing your Christmas shopping?"

He nods, pointing at the cart.

"We all like playing games, so I thought I´d get a different one for everybody and we can all use them together."

"Sounds like a good idea."

He hesitates for a moment, then says "so have your troubles sorted themselves out?"

Wash shrugs.

"Not entirely, apparently it´ll take time- if you stop by my place in about an hour you can try some cookies."

She adds, winking and he grins.

"I´ll be there, Ma´am."

After picking up some meat for dinner, Wash makes her way over to her house, it has stopped snowing for now and people are enjoying the opportunity to go outside, so it takes the lieutenant much longer to get home than anticipated, she´s forced to stop and talk to someone so often.

When she finally starts baking it´s already dark outside but remembering the vast amount of paperwork Taylor now has to manage without her help, she isn´t too worried that she won´t be finished on time.

She has just put the third tray in the oven when there´s a knock on the door and she opens it to find Mark outside, offering her a golden Christmas bauble.

"It´s chocolate" he tells her, "I heard you like chocolate."

Smiling Wash accepts the treat, stepping back so the boy can enter.

"I do, thank you- cookies are on the counter."

They eat cookies and drink some tea, chatting about Mark´s training in the future and Wash shares some war stories, all the while the pile of cookies gets bigger and bigger and when the boy leaves he´s carrying a box with more cookies to share with his friends when they meet up in the evening.

Alicia has just started pulling out the ingredients for dinner when the door opens and Taylor enters, an amused smile on his face.

"Going soft on me, aren´t you, Reynolds couldn´t stop grinning while telling me how fantastic your baking skills were, he advised me to go and secure some cookies for myself."

He takes a handful of cookies and leans against the counter, watching as Wash chops the vegetables.

"I guess that means people haven´t noticed yet."

"About us?"

Wash asks, "perhaps he was just too scared of you to say anything."

"Maybe- I haven´t heard any rumors, though, Boylan would certainly have teased both of us nonstop if he suspected anything."

There´s silence for a while as Taylor eats more cookies and Wash continues cooking while wondering how to reply, of course it´s a good thing that their relationship has gone unnoticed so far, what they are doing is strictly forbidden and yet it´s a little unsettling to think that they might never be able to act like a couple in public.

"I can´t really decide if that´s a good thing or not" Nathaniel muses, more or less expressing Wash´s own thoughts and she relaxes, it´s reassuring that he has the same concerns she has and for now it´s enough.


	4. Chapter 4

**metube:** Thanks so very much for the review, I hope you´ll also like the next part and that you´re having a lovely Christmas Eve- Frohe Weihnachten 3  
Guz and Wash will be fine and Taylor´s hopefully done with being jealous... ;)

**teparry:** Thanks very much and a Happy Christmas to you :D

* * *

1 week to Christmas

"That looks really good on you."

Wash turns around slowly, not quite daring to hope that she has actually heard Guzman´s voice but he´s standing there, looking her upside down in an admiring but not inappropriate manner.

She has been attracting looks all morning, it´s her day off and usually she ignores those, preferring to catch up on paperwork or train with her recruits but it´s only one more week until Christmas Eve and the party at Boylan´s and she desperately needs a new dress or rather a dress at all, she gave the few she owned away when she packed her place up before going through the portal.

She´s not exactly known to spend money on clothes and her walking into the market and starting to try on the most exquisite dresses on display has attracted far too much attention for her taste.

Wash decides to simply pretend nothing has happened- it seems to be what Guz has decided on- and simply go with the conversation.

"Thanks, I think I´ll take it, I´m tried of trying on things, I never enjoyed shopping."

She turns to the mirror one more time, the dress is rather elegant with a tight bodice and long sleeves, the skirt flaring slightly and reaching down to her ankles, the fabric a deep red velvet.

"It´s perfect for Christmas with the color and fabric" Guz says, earning himself a frown from his comrade and shrugs, grinning.

"I have a daughter, what can I say."

"Nice safe- I´ll go and get changed."

When she emerges from the shop ten minutes later with the dress wrapped into silk paper Guz is waiting for her.

"So how much did that one cost you?"

"Don´t ask, must be a sin to spend so much on a single dress."

He laughs and it sounds sincere before he bids her goodbye and walks away in direction of the mess hall while Wash makes her way over to her house to put the dress away before joining Taylor for lunch at the office.

At least that has been her plan but when she opens her front door she´s greeted by a wonderful smell and the sight of her CO sitting at her kitchen counter and reading something on his plex.

"Hey, I was about to come and find you."

She closed the door behind herself and walks up over into the kitchen area, smiling when Taylor gets up and pulls her to him, holding her while leaning back against the counter.

"What did you buy?"

"A dress for Friday."

"Can I see?"

"Sure."

She pulls the dress out of the bag and holds it in front of her, her cheeks flushing with pleasure when Taylor´s eyes sweep over her body in an unmistakable manner.

"I guess there´s no use trying to persuade you to try it on for me?"

Wash laughs, shaking her head as she wraps the dress into the silk paper again.

"No way, knowing you it might not survive."

Grinning he pulls the bag out of her hands and sets it onto the counter before reaching for her again, this time his mouth covers her´s in a deep, unhurried kiss and Wash allows herself to fully enjoy it, melting into his arms and sighing happily when he finally breaks apart and brushes his lips against her forehead before nodding towards the stove.

"Hungry?"

"For food?"

"That´s debatable- food first?"

"Only because I´m really hungry" she quips, her stomach rumbling as she once again concentrates on the delicious smell wafting over to her.

_"Shouldn´t you be working or something?"_

_Wash stifles a yawn, hoping that he´ll tell her he´s given up on work for today, it´s so incredibly comfortable to lie on his chest and listen to his steady heartbeat but unfortunately they still have a colony to run._

_"In a minute- or ten."_

_His fingers are playing with her hair and she feels herself drifting off, she has worked three night shifts this week and the idea of catching up on some sleep is more than welcome Nathaniel will work for a few more hours anyway and this way she´ll be more awake later when they have time for each other._

_"Wash?"_

_"Hm?"_

_"What is happening tomorrow?"_

_He´s been springing the question on her repeatedly, usually when he thought her to be pliable enough to be tricked into answering but she´s used to it by now and it only makes her smile._

_"Nice try but not good enough."_

_It´s nothing special really, just decorating the enormous Christmas tree that will be put up in the market and of course Taylor is expected to put the tree topper though he doesn´t know that yet._

_"And when are you going to tell me?"_

_"When I´m sure you can´t run anymore."_

_He groans and she smiles, pressing a quick kiss to his shoulder before sitting up and brushing her hair out of her face._

_"Anywhere you need to be?"_

_He looks up at her and she shakes her head._

_"Not me, you- come on."_

_She gets up and pulls the blanket off the bed, ignoring Taylor´s protests and letting it fall to the floor before walking over to her bathroom door where she tuns around and looks back at the man now sitting on her bed._

_"If you hurry you can shower with me."_

_He´s off the bed and by her side instantly and she´s not at all surprised when he reaches around her and lifts her off the ground and into his arms before carrying her into the bathroom, it´s a good thing that she has insisted on them getting up now because the way Taylor is crowding her against the wall as he turns on the shower promises more delightful activities that will take up even more time, time the commander technically should spend at his desk._

_"You know" Wash tells him as she seeks her balance and wraps her legs around his hips, "if we keep this up it´s only a matter of time until people will start to notice."_

_"I don´t care."_

_His answer takes her by surprise, whatever she has expected it´s not that and she looks at him questioningly, momentarily distracted from the exquisite feeling of their bodies pressed together underneath the warm spray._

_"What?"_

_"Don't say what, Wash, say pardon" Taylor quips, then groans when she pushes firmly against him and digs her nails into his shoulders._

_"Not funny, what do you mean by that?"_

_"I meant it like I said it, I don´t care if anyone finds out, I made up my mind, I want all of you, the whole relationship, no more sneaking around."_

_"Nathaniel, how can you just say this while we´re naked and in my shower?"_

_"Good time as any."_

_He ignores her incredulous expression and hoists her up a little higher and then Wash forgets what they were arguing about when he pushes inside her and begins to move, his lips teasing the sensitive skin on her neck, her head falls back against the wall as she gives herself over to the sensations he´s evoking in her body._

_When they finally leave the bathroom, Taylor back in his uniform and Wash in jeans and an extra warm sweater, it´s considerably later but still Nathaniel takes the time to kiss her goodbye thoroughly before promising he´ll be back in time for dinner and that they will talk all she wants then._

Wash has just finished warming up and is wondering what training tool to use for her workout session when Guz enters the gym and when he spots her, he comes over to her.

"Wash."

"Hey, Guz."

There´s a moment of silence, it feels a little strange for usually Guzman hardly ever stops talking and Wash is getting the feeling that something is bothering him.

"Ok, out with it, what´s wrong?"

He blushes, biting his lip and nods towards the sparring ring.

"Would you go a few rounds with me?"

"Sure, if you don´t mind being beaten up."

He shakes his head.

"I don´t."

"Only if you talk to me first."

"I- uh- did I see Taylor leave your house just now?"

"Depends- would that be a problem? Apart from the obvious one we´ve been having the last two weeks?"

"He went over to your place for a working lunch three hours ago."

"So he did."

"I see- well, I guess if you´re happy I´m happy."

He doesn´t look it and Wash can´t blame him but she hopes that he´ll accept her decision anyway and what´s more, that he won´t cause them problems, as third in command he is well entitled to protest if his CO and first Lieutenant engage in inappropriate behavior.

"So how is this going to work, you won´t be able to keep it a secret that way."

Wash hesitates, then she decided to just trust him, she has always done it and she isn´t willing to stop now.

"He doesn´t want to keep it a secret."

For a moment Guzman looks shocked, then he relaxes visibly, nodding.

"He´s better than I gave him credit for, you deserve a real relationship."

"I´m not sure how he´s planning to do this."

"Why, do you think anyone will have a problem with it? You should trust your men more, Wash, no one will begrudge you or Taylor some happiness."

"Are you sure?"

She isn´t, the idea is too good to be true but perhaps luck is on her side this time, she certainly has struggled enough in her life and perhaps there actually is a concept of give and take and fair and square and all the other nice little clichés.

"I´m sure- now stop stalling and get onto that mat."

"So desperate to have your ass kicked into next week?"

Wash jokes as she leads the way over to the training mats.

"Good idea, in that case I´d get around that stupid Christmas tree decoration thing tomorrow."

"Aw, come on, I bet Tasha´s all excited."

"Of course she is- how´s Taylor taking his tree topper job?"

Wash bites her lip and Guz nods knowingly.

"You haven´t told him yet, have you."

"Must have slipped my mind."

_An hour later Guzman limps out of the gym with Wash following, she is feeling a little sorry for her friend, actually still feels guilty for turning him down so brutally but he wouldn´t have appreciated her holding back while sparring, Guz is good but Wash is better and she landed a few hard blows while getting out with only slight bruising herself._

_"Remind me why I asked you to spar with me?"_

_"Because I´m brilliant and you want to learn how to be brilliant, too?"_

_She smiles widely at him._

_"If I wasn´t hurting so much, I´d hit you" Guz growls but he doesn´t look serious, for some reason he thinks it´s amusing that Wash, being so much smaller and slighter than himself, always manages to beat him up literally._

_"I´ll go home and spend the rest of the day on the sofa, damn, I really need to find a woman to pamper me a little, shame you´re really off the market."_

_Wash is relieved that he´s over her choosing their CO over him enough to joke about it._

_"I´m sure if you limp into the market right now, they´ll flock around you."_

_"Aren´t you sweet, so concerned for my well being- see you tomorrow."_

_It´s already getting dark when Wash makes her way to the market to buy something for dinner, it´s still so cold that very few people are outside, everyone is spending as much time as possible in their heated units._

_Boylan waves from behind his make shift bar, by far the busiest stall in the market and Wash walks over to him, smiling when he hands her a mug with eggnog._

_"I´m going to miss this stuff when Christmas is over" she confesses, then nods towards the customers._

_"Looks as though you´re the only one who doesn´t have trouble selling because of the weather."_

_"No, that´s one reason I wanted to be a bar tender, people will always be interested in booze, no matter what- so how are you doing, haven´t seen you around all week."_

_Still not sure what exactly Taylor meant earlier, Wash evades the answer._

_"I´ve been busy, there´s a lot of work before the holidays."_

_"Planning on taking some time off?"_

_"Hopefully, what about you, are you going to stay open all the time?"_

_"No, I´ll close down on the 25th, people should spend at least one day of Christmas without going out for drinks."_

_"How thoughtful of you" she teases and Boylan laughs._

_"Yeah, that´s me- how´s the great Commander, haven´t seen him around, either."_

_"Busy as well, how is the party planning going?"_

_The new topic is well chosen for Boylan instantly forgets all his questions and starts talking about the party while Wash sips her eggnog and wonders what to get for dinner._

_She has just finished her mug when Boylan´s face lights up with a mischievous smile, then his eyes widen and Wash feels an arm wrap around her waist, she smiles as Taylor pulls her into his side and his lips brush against her temple, apparently he´s been serious when he told her he didn´t care about anyone knowing about them earlier._

_"Evening, Tom, how´s business?"_

_For a moment Boylan just gapes at them, then he visibly pulls himself together._

_"Great- business, I mean, it´s going great- how long have you two been- " he gestures between them and Taylor´s smug smile widens as he observes how flustered the other man is._

_"Curiosity killed the cat, Boylan- now if you don´t mind I´d like to steal the lady away from you."_

_Boylan shakes his head, obviously out of words for the moment and Wash puts her empty mug down._

_"Thanks for the eggnog."_

_Boylan has recovered from his shock and nods cheerfully._

_"Anytime, with him you´ll need all the help you can get."_

_Instead of taking the bait, Taylor tips up Alicia´s head and kisses her, his arm tightening around her waist, his other hand lacing through her hair as he deepens the kiss, ignoring the sudden silence around them as Boylan´s customers stop talking in favor of watching them._

_When they break apart there´s cheering and whistling but no negative reactions and Wash looks up at Taylor to find him watching her with a tender smile on his face._

_"See, it wasn´t that bad."_

_She returns his smile and they proceed with their shopping, ignoring people looking at them as they walk arm in arm, the very picture of a normal couple enjoying each other´s company._

_"So that´s how it´s going to be now? We just act like a couple and see what happens?"_

_Wash leads the way over into her kitchen area with Taylor carrying their bags right behind her._

_"That´s what I want, what do you want? I should probably have asked out that before kissing you, by the way" he looks anxious and she shakes her head, leaning over and gently kissing his cheek before starting to unpack their groceries._

_"It´s ok, I don´t mind, unless you plan on stopping again, then I might shoot you."_

_He laughs, pulling her close to him to give her a proper kiss, it leaves them both breathless and for a moment Wash is tempted to simply skip dinner completely and seduce him right then, though the smoldering look in his eyes tells her that it won´t take a lot of persuasion to make him comply._

_Instead she turns towards her groceries again, there´s no need to rush, they have all night and many more nights to come and her heart soars at the thought, as cliché and ridiculous that image might be._

They have spend the morning catching up on paperwork, a task neither of them enjoys but it has to be done and so they both try and be as efficient as possible and get it out of the way sooner rather than later.

It´s lunch time and they have finally left the office again to get something to eat from the the market, the vendors have finished with their decorations now and Wash can tell that Taylor tries hard not to wince at the sight of twinkling lights everywhere.

"We can go to the mess hall if you want" she teases, grinning when he gives her an incredulous look, they both hate eating there and avoid it as much as possible.

"Don´t worry, I can bear it- I take it that´s the unpleasant surprise for this weekend?"

Taylor asks, looking more relaxed than was to be expected as he watches some of the younger soldiers wrestle the huge pine tree in front of the barracks.

"We´re not expected to dance around it, right?"

"I don´t think so, Sir but you never know."

"Evil woman."

"If you say so, Sir."

"So what´s my part in all this?"

"The kids have been making straw stars and ribbons to decorate the tree this week and they and the teachers will put it up later, some of the soldiers will do the higher branches and you are supposed to climb all the way up to put the tree topper in place."

"Great, just what I´ve been dreaming of doing on my free Saturday afternoon- can I at least climb the tree or do I have to use a ladder?"

"I´m afraid it´s a ladder."

"Should have known, would have been too much fun otherwise" he complains quietly while following Wash over to one of the stalls that sell food.

People are looking at them everywhere, apparently the fact that they are a couple has travelled the colony like wildfire.

"I feel like a movie star, in the negative sense" Wash tells Taylor who just laughs and reaches for her hand, fingers lacing through her´s as he pulls her closer.

"Don´t worry about it, the novelty will wear off in a month or so."

"Let´s hope so."

They get sandwiches for lunch and eat them while walking through the market, Wash is looking for small presents for Guz and Tasha and she also wants to get something for Boylan to take to the party on Christmas Eve.

At half past one they make their way over to the huge tree and watch along with most other citizens as the school children decorate it with their self made ornaments, then as some soldiers take care of the higher branches and finally as Commander Taylor climbs the ladder to put the tree topper in place.

Everybody applauds and cheers as Taylor makes his way down again and both Wash´s surprise and delight when he gets back to her side he pulls her to him and kisses her soundly, the keeps his arm firmly wrapped around her waist while leading her back towards the command center, they will have to work for another few hours until they are finished with all their paperwork.

People are still milling around, children are begging for sweets, adults are drinking eggnog and cider and it takes a while for the commander and his second to get back to their office, they have to stop so often to talk to civilians and soldiers alike.

_They are merely finished with their tasks for the afternoon when Taylor asks Wash to tidy up the office and excuses himself, he is looking preoccupied and Wash instantly gets curious and hurries to finish and make her way home, expecting to find him there but when she enters the house he is nowhere to be found but in the bedroom she finds a wrapped package waiting for her, there´s a note attached to it that says to open it and that he is waiting for her at his own house when she is ready._

_Not having the slightest idea what that means Wash unwraps the package and the meaning becomes clear when she holds up a new dress, it´s black, made from a soft, shiny material and she instantly loves it, she hasn´t been aware that Nathaniel has such exquisite taste but she certainly isn´t about to complain._

_She also finds a pair of black silk stockings and lacy black lingerie and has to smile, she hasn´t worn anything like this in years but if he wants to see her in it she´ll do him the favor._

_A pair of high heeled black shoes is the last item she adds to her outfit, the dress looks great on her, showing off her figure and makes her legs seem endless, she has left her hair down and added a little more make up than usual and when she has put on her warmest coat over the dress and exchanged the heels for boots, she leaves her house and walked over to Taylor´s._

_He opens at her first knock, smiling widely and steps aside to let her in, waiting until she has changed back into her heels before taking her hand and pulling her after him into the living room area._

_A table has been set up there, looking beautiful with a white table cloth and candles, a vase with flowers is in the center of the table and for a moment Wash just takes it all in, she has never been a particularly delicate woman and has never been with a man who would have gone to such lengths to surprise her and she can´t help herself but turn to Nathaniel and kiss him deeply, hoping he understands that she isn´t quite sure how to express herself other than through showing him how much this means to her._

_He returns the kiss tenderly, then pulls out a chair for her and Wash sits down, content to let him be as gentlemanly as he wants for the evening, he apparently has it all planned out and she will just wait and see what´s going to happen next._

_Taylor offers her a choice of wine and they eat a delicious dinner along with chocolate cake for desert and then they take their glasses over to the fireplace where Nathaniel has spread out a blanket and a couple of pillows._

_"How long have you been planning this?"_

_She asks while settling down against his chest, smiling when she feels his arm wrap around her waist, his lips brush against her neck and she leans her head back to give him better access, sighing happily._

_"Why, that good or that bad?"_

_"That good- so that´s what you meant when you said you´d prove to me that you´re a romantic, Sir?"_

_He chuckles._

_"Back to that, are we- that was part of it."_

_"And the other part?"_

_She feels him move and tries to turn around but he holds her in place, whispering into her ear._

_"Patience, Wash."_

_"Patience has never been my strong point" she reminds him but holds perfectly still while re rummages for something in his pocket._

_"Now turn around" he sounds as though he could barely suppress his excitement, it´s unusual for him to get worked up over anything and now Wash really wants to know what this is all about._

_When she faces him he is holding a ring on the palm of his hand, a slim gold band with a sparkling diamond, his expression very serious and Alicia can do nothing but look down at the sparkling gem, this can´t mean what she thinks- or can it?_

_"Alicia" he begins, his free hand taking her´s and he links their fingers while Wash holds perfectly still, waiting with baited breath for him to continue._

_"I have loved you for a long time and I want to continue loving and cherishing you for the rest of my life, will you marry me?"_

_It´s not what she has expected and it´s not what anyone would expect from them, neither him nor her but it feels just right to Wash and even though she can´t say that she has ever really imagined that this would happen, let alone how it might turn out but now that it is happening, there´s only one thing left to say._

_"Yes" she whispers, feeling tears dwell in her eyes, sees that his own look suspiciously water as well and she gets up on her knees and wraps her arms around his neck, kissing him with all the pent up love and emotion she has for him._

_Much, much later they are lying in front of the fireplace, Taylor leaning back against one of the pillows, Wash lying on her back, her head resting against his shoulder as she holds up her hand, admiring the sparkling diamond on her finger, it changes colors constantly in the firelight, she has never been one for jewelry, when she has been a child her mother used to wear a lot of it but it never held any fascination for Alicia, later in life she has been at war most of her time and there has been much more important concerns._

_Now she thinks that this ring is the prettiest she has ever seen, not only because it´s simply and yet perfect but also because it symbolizes the unbreakable bond between her and the man she loves, a promise she never dreamed of giving or receiving but is determined to keep for as long as they both live._


End file.
